Power-driven can rack



Aug- 4, 1925.

A. E. HANSEN POWER DRIVEN CAN RACK I I W E .x w li I Filed Aug. 14, 1922 lllmlllllmlmll Patented 2 1mg. 4, 1925,

rarer La itte \witma An'rrron n. HANSEN, on wnrrnwa'rnn, Wisconsin, ASSIGNOR TO LIBBY, MGNEILL & LIBBY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A oonronarron F MAINE.

POWER-DRIVEN CAN BAGKL Application filed August 14-, 1922. Serial No. 581,575.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, Ami-inn E. Hansen, a citizen of the United States, residing at lWhitewater, in the county of \Valworth and State of VJisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Power- Driven CanRacks, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to power driven can racks.

The present invention is particularly applicable to the ordinary cylindrical type of can which is commonly used for containing fruits, vegetables, milk, and similar materials. It is common practice to transport such cans whether in loaded or unloaded condition with said cans stacked in tiers, their cylindrical axes lying in hori- Zontal planes. In handling such cans is common practice to use a tool commonly referred to as a fork, the prongs of which on ter the spaces'between; the tiers of cans. By

. means of such forks aw'orkman may conveniently handle a large number of cans. According to the present invention, means are provided for receiving a stack of cans having their cylindrical axes parallel and feeding same in a continuous file to a predetermined point.

An object of the.presentinvention is to provide an improved can rack whereby stacks of cans. may be conveniently fed in a moving file to a predetermined point.

A further object is to provide an improved can rack which will expeditiously deliver a moving file of cans.

Further objects will appear as the description proceeds.

Referring to the drawings Figure 1 is a view in side elevation illustrating one embodiment of the present invention Figure 2 is an end view looking in the direction of the arrows 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken in the direction of the arrows 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4: represents a detail; and

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 55 of Figure 4.

The numerals and 11 indicate a pair of angle-irons, which are arranged in paral lel relation and inclined with respect to a horizontal plane. Said angle-irons 10 and 11 have the insides of their angles facing one another and constitute a runway for cans, certain of which cans are indicated by the numerals 1212. Mounted in cooperative relationship with the members 10 and 11 are the side plates 13 and 1 1, which side plates are connected at their upper extremh ties by means of the cross member 15, angles 1616 being provided for supporting said cross member 15. At the left-hand extremities of plates 13 and 14, as viewed in Figure 1, are the supporting bars 17, which support the shaft 17 carrying the pulleys 18 and 19. Mounted on the outer sides of the side plates 13 and let are the angles 20 and 21 which carry the bearings 22 and 23 respectively. shaft 24 which carries the pulley 25. An endless belt is carried by pulleys '18 and 25. The angles 20 and 21, which may be mounted in any preferred manner, are inclined with reference to members 10 and 11, and the belt 26 is supported in such a position that it impels cans stacked upon said members 10 and 11 to roll beneath the pulley 18 and belt 26, one" at a time. As will be referred to hereinafter, spring means are provided whereby variations in size of the cans 1212 may be compensated for.

The cross member 15 supports the motor 27 which drives the pulley 28. The pulley 28 is connected, by means of belt 29, to the pulley 1-9, which is fast upon the same shaft as pulley 18. Pulley 18 may be so mounted as to have a vertical adjustment on supporting members 1717, and pulley may be adjustably mounted on angles 20 and 21, the supporting members 17-47 and side members 13 and 14: being suitably apertured to permit movement of shafts 17 and 24 in directions parallel with their axes. Mounted in cooperative relation with the member 10 is the side wall 30, which may be of sheet metal. Said side wall 30 preferably lies in a plane displaced more than 90 degrees from the plane of the bottoms of members 10 and 11 and acts as a back stop for supporting the stacked cans 1212 in the manner indicated in Figure 3.

Mounted in a position below the pulley 18 is the spring 31, which may be supported from the members 10 and 11 by means of the cross bar 32, which cross bar 32 is riveted or otherwise secured to said members 10 and 11. Said members 10 and 11 have their bottom portions cut away to the left of the cross bar 32, as viewed in Figures e and 5.

Said bearings support the The gaps indicated by the numerals 33-83 permit the spring 31 to serve as the sole support, in a vertical direction, of the cans as they pass beneath pulley 18 and belt 26. he members and 11 are extended beyond the spring 31, as indicated by the numerals 34 and 35. Said extensions 34; and may lead the cans to any preferred place.

In operation, the motor 27, acting-through the belt 29 and pulley 19, will communicate motion to pulley 18 and belt 26. Said pulleys 18 and 25 will be adjusted in position so that the belt 26 is in relatively taut condition. The operator will stack cans 1212 upon the members 10' and 11, which cans, due to the inclined position of members 10 and 11, will gravitate toward the belt 26. Said belt 26 will feed the cans in a continuous single file over the spring 31, which will flex to accommodate variations in size of said cans'12-12.

It will be clear that due to the adjustable mounting of pulleys 18 and 25, the rack according to the present invention may be used with cans of widely varying diameters.

One embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail. Many modifications will occur to those skilled in the art. It is intended in this patent to cover all such modifications that fall within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim: 1. A power. driven can rack comprising an inclined runway adapted to have cans stacked thereupon and positively driven belt means arranged at an angle to said runway for causing said cans to assume a single layer in passing from said runway.

2. A power driven can rack comprising members forming an inclined runway and a power driven endless belt having a portion converging towards said runway and coopcrating with said runway to cause cans placed upon said runway to move between pair of side members, a pair of pulleys mounted between said side members, an enclless belt mounted upon said pulleys, members comprising a runway mounted between said side members and adapted to deliver cans to a position in proximity to said belt, and a motor mounted upon said side members for positively driving said belt, said runway being provided witha spring member in proximity with said belt for accommodating cans of different diameters.

4. A can rack comprising a runway inclined to the horizontal, a side wall inclined to the vertical, a pair of pulleys mounted above said runway, said pulleys being pro vided with an endless belt, said belt having a portion converging toward said runway in a position to pass cans between said belt and said runway in a single layer.

5. A can rack comprising a runway inclined to the horizontal, a side wall inclined to the vertical, a pair of pulleys mounted above said runway, said pulleys being provided with an endless belt, said belt having a portion converging toward said runway in a positionto pass cans between said belt and said runway in a single layer, said runway including a resilient portion adjacent to said belt to accommodate cans of varying .diameters.

Signed at Whitewater, Wisconsin, this 5th day of August, 1922.

ARTHUR E. HANSEN. 

